Scars of Apollo

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March 29, 2010

A bright, young impact crater scars the surface of the Moon in this recent images from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Unlike most lunar craters, which are created by space rocks, this one formed when the third stage of the Saturn booster rocket that carried Apollo 14 slammed into the Moon on February 4, 1971. Instruments left on the Moon by earlier Apollo crews recorded the impact, providing important information about the structure of the Moon's interior. This is one of around two dozen lunar craters created by impacting spacecraft or booster rockets. [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State]